The 8 Best Dolphin & Whale Watching in Bay of Plenty Region, North Island

Watch or swim with dolphins and friendly seals in the warm Bay of Plenty waters, near White Island in Whakatane, in New Zealand. Diveworks Charters has been in operation since 1997 and is a genuine family affair. Phil designed and purpose-built the 10m Diveworks boat so it easily handles the sea and is great for divers and snorkelers! During summer, Diveworks Dolphin and Seal Encounters provides the opportunity to swim, view and enjoy dolphins that have come into the Bay of Plenty to feed and breed. Sightings of baby dolphin are incredible and swimming with the friendly Kekeno seals as they swim at Whale Island (Moutohora). - approx 4 hour tour - usually morning tours. Diveworks Charters other boat tours include: Whale Island Guided Walks, Fishing Trips and Diving at White Island. “Over 35,000 people have been on Diveworks - our tour parties are small and with every trip you will feel like one of the family.”

Guided walking tours of Whale (Moutohora) island sanctuary, a pristine wildlife reserve 9kms from Whakatane. The tour includes boat trip to the island, circumnavigation, walking on island to saddle lookout. Your skipper and guide Phil with Diveworks has 23 years of involvement with regeneration and restocking of native flora and fauna, he has been involved with the introduction of endangered Saddleback, most of the Kiwi, Tuatara lizard and the many Scientific monitoring, Firewatch and Cultural expeditions during the Islands establishment period. In 2009 he concluded a 3 year DOC concession to monitor and study the newly establishing seal colony which later resulted in a permit to swim with them. Phil has extensive information and records of the pest eradication program and the introduction and monitoring of Kiwi and Tuatara. He will tell you how Kakariki were introduced and then recaptured and will proudly show you trees he himself planted now exceeding 10 meters in height. The whole trip is exciting, informative and culminates with a Hot water beach swim.

Tauranga company that takes people out to swim with wild dolphins, as well as showing you any other marine life we can find. We supply everything even lunch and a guided snorkel at a local island. Amazing day with the best crew in the bay by far.

Welcome to our big blue backyard! Enter nature & wide open spaces on a Bay Explorer wildlife cruise. Join us for a shared lifetime experience and help protect wild marine animals. We offer a Full-Day Island & Wildlife Cruise or Half-Day Dolphin & Wildlife Cruise, our award winning #1 Boat Cruises in Tauranga and Mount Maunganui. Watch wild dolphins up close, orca killer whales, sharks, seasonal whale watching, penguins, seals, sunfish, school fish & seabirds. The full day Island & Wildlife Cruise allows you to enjoy a midday island stopover at a sheltered cove with optional water activities including kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, snorkeling or swimming. Our half day Dolphin & Wildlife Cruise means we get to spend more time searching for the wildlife, and is perfect for those who are a bit short on time. Our spacious boat has a fully licenced bar with chilled regional wine and beers along with non-alcoholic beverages. Full Day: 8am - 4pm Half Day: 9am - 2pm

Watch & Swim with wild dolphins in the crystal clear waters of the Bay of Plenty. Get closer to dolphins, orca, whales and seals on board our comfortable purpose built 50ft power Cat ' Guardian'. Trips depart daily from Tauranga. Our expert crew of Wildlife Guides will ensure your trip with us is a great experience for your visit to our region. We supply all gear; wetsuits, masks and snorkels, give a briefing to our swimmers, and also include hot drinks, juice, fresh fruit and morning tea in our prices which are the best around by far. See huge pods of Common Dolphins closer than you will see anywhere playing and just doing what comes natural as you meet them eye to eye in the clear Pacific Ocean. We can happen upon Orca, whales (seasonal), seals, seabirds, penguins and offshore nature reserve islands, it's an awesome day out. Join us at Dolphin Seafaris for a first class, comfortable cruise!

Moutohorā is one of News Zealand’s little-known treasures and home to a number of New Zealand’s rare and endangered plants, birds and reptiles. Located 9 kms off Whakatāne, the island is under the protection of the Department of Conservation (DOC) with access highly restricted. Departing from Whakatāne Wharf, the journey to Moutohorā is just a short 15-minute boat ride aboard our comfortable catamaran “The Moutohorā Cat”, designed to be able to nestle right onto the shore. Once ashore, the fully-guided tour allows visitors to learn about the island's unique flora and fauna, with is a chance to see a number of different species – including saddleback, red-crowned parakeet, little brown kiwi, tui – many of which are endangered or seldom seen on the New Zealand mainland. The tour includes a visit to Sulphur Bay where geothermal hot springs come up through the sand allowing for you to dig your own hot pool on the beach and ends with a circumnavigation of the island.

Whale & Dolphin Watch. Your experience of a lifetime...Swim with dolphins and seals with occasional Whale sightings in their natural environment.Tours operate near White Island active marine volcano. Moutohora or Whale Island is a wildlife management reserve 9kms offshore. It is home to much rare and endangered new Zealand wildlife.

I was born in Siberia, educated in university in St Petersburg, and worked in the Crimea. Now I am settled in New Zealand as an experienced tour guide, translator and immigration advisor. We can take you anywhere you like around New Zealand.